Two Halves Make A Whole
by Emily.Anon
Summary: Emily Fields and Paige McCullers have both experienced life changing events. Both girls meet at a time when they are struggling to deal with the repercussions of these events. Each girl is determined to do whatever it takes to help the other girl and it is through this that they find just how well they relate and how strong their feelings are for one another. AU paily love story.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello :) This may be a silly thing to do considering I'm already writing a fan fic but I have decided to start a new one. I just really want to write something that isn't so close to the show itself. In this fic the girls have left school and are in their twenties, I just feel like there is more that you can do when they aren't restricted to the life of a student. I am still writing Who Knew? for the people who are still enjoying the story but I'd really like to give this story a go too :) This chapter is only an introduction of sorts so it's not long but I would love some feedback on whether to continue because the second chapter is nearly finished but if no one is interested then I won't bother. _**

**_This story is AU. Paige didn't go to high school with the four girls and 'A' never existed. I'm still deciding whether Alison did so just assume she didn't until told otherwise. _**

**_Please give me feedback otherwise I will assume there is no interest in the story thus, no point in posting the next chapter._**

The woman was situated between her girlfriend's legs and with one more thrust of her fingers and a few more movements of her tongue she felt her girlfriend clench around her fingers as her back arched and she let out a deep, throaty moan. She smiled smugly to herself, knowing she was able to have that effect on someone. Even after five years together, their sex was always exciting and full of passion.

"So, how was I babe?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

There was a slight hesitation before, "I'm pregnant." At first I laughed. How could my girlfriend be pregnant?

"That's very funny Chloe. Usually when your girlfriend gives you an orgasm like I just did, 'thank you' or 'I love you' or even 'you are the best I've ever had' are the best responses" I joked, expecting Chloe to laugh with me – she didn't.

"I'm so sorry babe, I wish I was joking but…I'm being serious." I was currently still in between my girlfriend's legs so I quickly got off our bed and began retrieving my clothes from the bedroom floor.

"You can't be fucking serious!?" I fumbled with my bra straps and after a few tries I huffed and threw it to the floor, deciding to just put my t-shirt on without a bra, I needed to get out of the room.

"Babe I really am sorry. I wish I could take everything back. I fucking hate myself for doing this to us. I found out a couple of weeks ago and I just didn't know how to tell you."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you're very sorry, is that why you decided to tell me during sex?" I was now dressed but Chloe didn't seem to think clothes were necessary right now, I beg to differ; especially when she is trying to comfort me. "Don't touch me. I can't believe you did this. How could cheat on me?" I could no longer stop the tears from falling down my cheeks.

I thought Chloe was the love of my life but here I am, listening to her tell me that she cheated on me but not just that, she is also pregnant. I've been with Chloe since we were both 18 and we now rent an apartment together but it seems that Chloe is willing to throw all of that away, clearly I'm not enough for her.

"Please believe me when I say that I am sorry and I really hope that we can work this out. I love you so much babe." Chloe was also crying by now but that last statement made me laugh.

"Stop calling me babe. I am not your babe, not anymore. Chloe, I trusted you, I was nothing but loyal to you, I love you, and in return you go and sleep with some guy and get pregnant. We clearly both have very different ideas of what love is." I was standing in the middle of our apartment with absolutely no idea what to do. This isn't a moment you prepare for. I decided to get a bag and start packing it, there was no way I could stay here anymore.

"Let me explain, please?" Chloe pleaded and grabbed me by my arm which I swiftly pulled out of her grip and spun to face her.

"Explain what? Explain how you fucked somebody else while you were with me? No thanks." My voice was raising, the woman was really testing my temper. I turned and carried on walking into the bedroom.

"Please stop. I know what I did was all kinds of wrong, do you think I don't know that?" Chloe's voice was now rising too. "But please, just give me a chance."

"No, I don't owe you shit and stop feeling like I do. I just have one question, was it a onetime thing or a long-term affair?" I knew I was torturing myself and that either way I was leaving but my curiosity got the better of me.

Chloe stayed silent and that was all I needed to get my answer. "Well it clearly wasn't a mistake if it was more than once. If you wasn't pregnant you'd probably be with him right now." I had packed a bag with a few days' worth of clothes and headed to the front door. "Good luck with the kid, please bring it up right. Teach them correct morals, not your fucked up ideas." With that I opened the door and walked out, I could hear a faint 'I'm sorry' but I was sick of hearing the words come out of her mouth. I quickly checked my pockets for my car keys, wallet and phone then took one last look at the apartment door before walking to the stairs leading to the car park.

I chucked the bag in the back seat and just sat in the car for a while quietly sobbing. I was so angry at Chloe for what she did but I couldn't help but feel devastated at the same time. I just ended a five year relationship and it still hadn't quite sunk in. I still love Chloe, I hate what she did but you can't just stop loving someone. In my mind, I was staying with Chloe for the rest of my life but she just pulled the rug right out from under my feet and I could feel my heart breaking. Chloe was the first and only person I have fallen in love with, I gave her everything and this is what she has given me in return. I had just gone from having sex to breaking up with Chloe in no more than five minutes…five years over in five minutes. Life can be an absolute bitch.

_**Thank you for reading and don't forget, review! Even if it is to tell me how much you hate it! haha :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**So, thank you for the favs and follows and especially the reviews! They're the reason I wanted to give you an update so keep em' coming :)**_

_**I'll just reply to the reviews so if you don't want to read them skip the bold :)**_

_**Rudy Maro: thank you :) I intentionally didn't give you that piece of information but you are about to find out! :) **_

_**AZRobbins5: thank you for the compliment, I hope it is the start of something really awesome too haha :)**_

_**And to all of the guests... thank you! xx**_

_**So this chapter is a little dialogue heavy but it is necessary for what it covers. It may not seem too interesting**____**at the moment but I promise once Paige and Emily meet (most likely next chapter) it will definitely pick up so please stick with me :) **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters blah blah blah **_

_**ps. I apologise in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes, it's getting pretty late so I'm sure I've missed something.**_

_**Chapter 2, enjoy!**_

"She's pregnant Liv." I began crying again and fell into my best friend's arms, dropping my bag to the floor.

"What? Slow down, what happened Paige?" Livvy held me close before pulling away to look at me.

"Chloe, she cheated on my Liv. She is pregnant."

"Oh my god. Come in Paige." I picked up my bag and followed Livvy into her apartment.

"Hey Pai- oh." Dan, Liv's boyfriend, just looked at me, offering a weak smile to which I ignored and dropped onto couch he was lying on.

"Hey Dan." I practically whispered the words. Liv then walked over with a beer in her hand which I gratefully accepted and took a generous gulp of. "Thanks. Sorry for just turning up like this, I didn't know where else to go."

"It's fine Paige, this is what best friends are for. We were just watching the stupid football anyway, well, Dan was watching the football and I was watching the timer." I gave Liv a weak smile. The woman always managed to make me smile, even in the worst times.

"You can stay here as long as you need to, you can have the spare room; like old times." Before I moved in with Chloe and before Livvy was dating Dan, we used to live in this apartment together.

"Thank you. Don't worry, it shouldn't take me too long to find a new place."

"So…it's definitely over between you two?" My friend clearly wanted information but treaded lightly which I appreciated.

"Yeah. It happened more than once. She obviously only told me because she got pregnant."

"Shit. Sorry Paige." I had forgotten that Dan didn't know why I was sitting on his couch in tears but he was obviously able to put two and two together and figure it out. "What a bitch." He added.

"Yeah" I nodded.

"So I'm guessing you just found out tonight?" Once again Livvy's voice was soft as she sat on the coffee table in the living room resting her hands on my knees.

"Yeah, during sex. She told me while we were having sex." Talking about it reminded her that she could still in fact taste the other girl so she took another gulp of the beer in her hand in an attempt to mask the taste.

"Jesus, what is wrong with that girl!?" I could tell Livvy was angry as she gently squeezed my knees.

Dan uncomfortably shuffled into a sitting position before adding, "That's rough."

"Yeah…I just want to forget about it."

Six beers and a few shots later Paige was finally beginning to forget about today but it seemed that she was also forgetting how to walk, so Livvy decided to help her get to bed.

"C'mon Paige, we need to get you to bed." The girl held the majority of Paige's weight on their walk to the bedroom before gently dropping her onto the bed. Livvy sat next to Paige for a little while as she quietly mumbled slurred words as she fought sleep. It took Paige about 15 minutes before she could no longer keep her eyes open so Livvy gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving the room and heading off to bed herself.

In the morning Paige was welcomed by a headache that made it feel like her head had a pulse of its own.

"Shhhhit," she groaned as she attempted to open her eyes before quickly slamming them shut. The only good thing about the hangover was the fact that Chloe wasn't the first thing on Paige's mind, though it didn't take long for Paige to look to her left to see the rest of the bed empty. There was no one there to kiss good morning or laugh at her terrible hangover. Paige was going to have to get used to that.

It had been 20 minutes now and Paige decided she may as well just get up now and considering she could hear Liv and Dan in the kitchen she guessed they were making breakfast of some kind and she wasn't about to miss out on that.

Paige walked into the kitchen and the smell of bacon found its way to her nose.

"Morning Paige," Liv looked at her friend sympathetically, it wasn't easy watching her friend go through so much pain. She had seen it many times before but that doesn't make each time any easier.

Paige just gave Livvy a blank expression before quickly turning and bolting for the bathroom.

Paige re-emerged from the hallway. "Ok, now that I just threw up any last remains of nutrients I had in my body, please say you cooked enough for three."

"Of course, take a seat." Livvy smiled and pointed to one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

"Thanks. I have no idea what I would do without you."

"You know I'd do anything for you Paige."

Livvy turned to finish cooking the eggs and bacon and was surprised by a pair of arms wrapping around her.

"What am I supposed to do liv? I thought I was going to be spending my life with her. It was stupid for me to think I could be so lucky. Luck most definitely doesn't run in my family. First I lose my mother, then my father and _now _Chloe."

It was tearing Livvy apart listening to Paige as she felt her shoulder dampen due to the girl's tears.

"I know it's shit right now and I know this is the last thing you want to hear but it will get better, you just need time. Plans change and people aren't always what you thought, we both just never thought Chloe would be one of those people. We'll get through this together, I'll make sure of it, ok?"

"Ok." The embrace lasted a little longer before Paige let go to allow Livvy finish the breakfast.

The next week was agonising as Livvy and Dan both had work, leaving Paige alone with nothing but her thoughts. She decided that she needed to go back to her apartment to get her laptop along with the rest of her stuff, she'd have to sort the leasing contract out soon too since she won't be living there anymore. It was Friday and Paige decided to go around now while Chloe was at work to make things a little easier on herself.

When Paige arrived at the apartment she slowly turned the key and stepped in. It felt so strange walking around the apartment now, like she didn't belong there and it was a horrible feeling. Photos of the couple were still scattered around the place and she couldn't help but pick one up from last New Year's Eve. The two looked so happy together with their arms around each other while Chloe kissed Paige on the cheek. Paige promised to herself that she wouldn't cry but she couldn't stop a tear from falling down her cheek. It was quickly wiped away the second she heard the other girl's voice.

"Paige, you're here." She looked to her right to see Chloe standing there. The tall blonde gave her a smile but it wasn't reciprocated by Paige.

"Oh uh, I was just coming to get the rest of my things…I thought you'd be at work, I'll come back another time." Paige blushed as she internally cursed herself for even looking at the photo.

"No, stay. I'm only here because I have an appointment today, with umm… with the gynaecologist."

It hurt Chloe to tell Paige why she wasn't at work, knowing it would be a harsh reminder of why they are in this situation. The girl wasn't wrong, it pained Paige to hear those words. She could have got angry at Chloe; she _should _be angry at Chloe, but she just couldn't stop the feeling of sadness taking over her.

"Oh…I think I'm going to comeback another time." Paige turned around and headed to the door.

"Please don't go because of me. I was just about to leave anyway. Paige, please believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for doing this to you. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you. Are you sure you really want to end our relationship? I love you Paige, we can work through this, just give me another chance. Give _us _another chance."

"I can't do that Chloe. The cheating was one thing, maybe I could move past that with time but you're pregnant Chloe. You are having a baby with the person you cheated on me with. Do you not see how asking me to raise the child with you is impossible for me. I'd look at them and see the cheating, see your lies, and that's not what a parent should see when they look at their child. You can't ask me to raise that child, it's not fair on any of us; the child especially."

Both women had tears streaming down their cheeks at this point as Paige's words sunk in. Neither of them expected her to say what she had said, Paige hadn't even acknowledged those feelings until she was speaking them out loud.

Chloe breathed out a weak "sorry" before Paige took a deep breath and held back more tears so she could speak again.

"Stop. Just stop. I am sick of hearing you tell me that you are sorry. You are sorry you got caught, sorry you got pregnant. You are not sorry for the affair so don't lie to me anymore then you already have. I don't want your apology Chloe, it doesn't change anything, you still had an affair and you are still pregnant. I'm trying to not get effected by this whole thing but how can I not be effected when the person who I thought was the love of my life did this to me? I can't, and you saying sorry every chance you get is only making it worse for me. I am so angry at you for what you did but the disappointment and sadness I feel far outweighs my anger." Chloe was surprised by Paige's response but she definitely understood why she was so frustrated and angry and upset and every other emotion she was being hit with but that didn't make it any easier for her to listen to what she was saying.

"I'm going to get the rest of my stuff and go. We also need to sort out the apartment, since I'm no longer living here anymore, I don't need to be paying rent." Paige then walked back past Chloe and headed to their old bedroom to get the rest of her clothes and laptop. When Paige was finished packing she walked back out to the open plan apartment to see Chloe sitting on the sofa with her head in her hands.

"You can have whatever else is left in here, I don't need or want any of it." Paige was walking past the sofa and didn't look at the girl in tears.

"Do you at least have a place to stay?" Chloe sobbed.

"I'm staying with Livvy for now. I hope the father of the child is helping you. The baby doesn't deserve to be brought into the world surrounded by toxic relationships, they shouldn't be punished for your actions. I hope the appointment goes well, Chloe."

"Thank you Paige, I really fucked up my chance with you but you'll find someone who deserves you. I really wish it wasn't like this."

"Me too." Paige then opened the door and stepped out of the apartment before anyone could say anything else.

Paige had to once again fight back tears as she carried the large bag down the stairs leading to the car park. She wondered how long it would take for her to be able to see or even just think about Chloe without wanting to breakdown and cry. The two had a lot of memories together and moving on from them was going to take time but Paige didn't want to invest anymore of her time into the other girl.

For the following months, Paige threw herself into medical school, determined to become the best paramedic she could. Paige had always been interested in medicine and she always had the brains for it but it was after her accident that becoming a paramedic was something she came very passionate about. It was a paramedic who saved her life three year ago and she wanted to be able to do that for others.

Since becoming a qualified paramedic, Paige had applied for quite a few jobs to different hospitals, some not even in New Jersey. After a couple of weeks, Paige finally heard back from a hospital in Philadelphia; it was just an interview but it got Paige excited none the less. Now Paige just had to tell Livvy that she might be moving to a different state.

That night when Livvy got back from work she could smell noodles waft through her apartment.

"Something smells good." Living smiled as she entered the kitchen as she found Paige standing at the stove with a large wok in front of her.

"Hey Liv, I thought I would treat you and Dan to my awesome stir-fry." Paige smirked as she looked back at Livvy.

"I don't know about it being _awesome _but I guess it will do." Livvy laughed as she gently nudged Paige on her way to the fridge to get two beers and a bottle of wine out.

"Har har," Paige said sarcastically before adding "when is Dan gonna be back, this is going to be ready any minute."

"Don't worry, he is only like five minutes away." Livvy finished pouring the glass of wine before taking it to the table and putting it at her seat while putting the two beers where Paige and Dan sit.

"Good, I'll take it off the heat now before I overcook the chicken."

"This is great Paige!" Dan said in between forkfuls of the stir fry.

"Thank you Dan. See, I told you it was awesome Liv." Paige looked over to Livvy grinning.

"I'm pretty sure the word Dan used was _great _but, I must admit, these are pretty awesome." Livvy just shook her head and laughed as Paige fist pumped the air.

The three had a general conversation about both Dan and Livvy's work days before they fell into a comfortable silence for a minute or two.

"So, I have some news." Paige finally chocked up.

"Oh yeah? Good news, I hope." Livvy smiled cautiously.

"No, well not really. I don't know, I'll just tell you and see what you think."

"Ok…" At this point Livvy wasn't sure what to expect, the only thing she could think of was that Paige was seeing someone.

"Ok, so you know I sent off a lot of applications at many different hospitals? Well, a hospital in Philadelphia got back to me and they want me to go there to see if I can make the cut. I have to drive up there this Friday. It's just that if I get the job I would move to Philadelphia."

"That's great Paige! Well, I mean about the possible job. Not that I have any doubts about you getting it, they'd be crazy to say no to you."

"Yeah, I was beginning to think no one was going to get back to me. It really sucks that it was the hospital in a different state that replied though. Although I'll only be about an hour away, so it could be worse I guess." The table went silent again and Dan took this opportunity to give the girls some space.

"How you two go to the living room while I clear up." Dan flashed them a smile.

"Thanks babe." With that, they all stood and the two women walked to the sofa while Dan collected the plates and headed to the kitchen.

As the girls entered the living room Paige slumped onto the sofa with a dramatic sigh.

"Don't feel bad Paige, this is an amazing opportunity and besides, Philadelphia isn't even that far away from here." Livvy gently put a hand on Paige's knee.

The girl was trying to act excited for Paige but if she was being honest, she was feeling the same as the girl slumped next to her. As happy as Livvy was for her best friend, she didn't want to see her leave. For a lot of people an hour or so may not seem like that long in the grand scheme of things but these two have never lived further than ten minutes away from each since they were 12 years old. They have been friends now for about 13 years and Livvy had been there for Paige during her many ups and downs the same way Paige was there for her so the idea of not being around the corner from her didn't sit well with the woman. Paige could see that Livvy's face didn't match her words, she had known her too long for her _not _to notice.

"Maybe I should just reapply for the jobs in this area. I'm not really sure if Philadelphia is even the place for me." Paige lied, know how good of an opportunity this was for her.

"No! Don't be stupid Paige. Sure we'll miss each other but it's not like we won't be able to visit each other on the weekends. Besides, I'll have Dan here and you'll be busy with your new job and you'll find yourself a new girl in no time. Especially when they see you in your uniform." Livvy chuckled as she lightened the mood, feeling better when she saw Paige respond with a chuckle of her own.

"Yeah, you're right. Our friendship has been through so much that no distance could ruin it. Thanks for being so great Liv." Paige looked at her friend's big blue eyes. Her friend was beautiful, with long dark hair and piercing blue eyes she often found people admiring her. Livvy was one the girls who could have easily been one of the stereotypical popular girls in high school; she had the charisma, the body and she definitely had the looks but her humble personality never allowed her to become that person. Instead, Livvy found Paige. They may have been friends before popularity was important but even through their teenage years, the thought of leaving Paige behind never even crossed her mind. Paige wasn't unpopular or anything but she was just determined to do well in school, she wanted to do something great after high school and she didn't want to risk that for a chance to go partying, she saved that for after high school. Paige has seen the bottom of a fair few vodka bottles since high school but they were often used to forget worse times, not for the fun of it.

"So what are you going to do about your living situation in Philadelphia?"

"Well _if _I get the job, I was thinking about putting like an advertisement in their local newspaper or something, asking if anyone is looking for a house mate because I can't really afford to rent a place on my own." Paige looked up to see Livvy giving her a reassuring smile which really helped settle her nerves about everything. Within a week she could finally have a job at a hospital and living with one or more strangers. Since she first moved out, Paige had always either been with Livvy or Chloe so that would be yet another adjustment she would have to make.

"I think that's a good idea. How about we write it together tomorrow?"

"I'd like that, thanks Liv. I know I keep on saying that but I honestly don't know where I would be without you, I owe you my life." With that Livvy leaned over and engulfed Paige in a hug as both girls clung onto each other.

"Now, let's watch Cops and laugh at some drunken idiots." Both girl let go of each other as Dan entered the room with drinks in hand.

"Thanks Dan." Both girls took a drink from his hand and they spent the rest of the night relaxing and watching TV while laughing at the drunken idiots on Cops, just like Livvy had suggested.

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to review with your thoughts, whether they are good ****_or_**** bad! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello :) so I was hoping to get this chapter out a little faster then I did but it's here now I guess :) This chapter doesn't have much Paige/Emily interaction but I can guarantee that the next chapter will :)**

**ps. next week is really busy for me with a heap of SACs and then year 11 retreat on Thursday and Friday so I won't really get any writing done and when I do I will be trying to work on my other fic 'Who Knew?' but I am really hoping to get the next chapter of this done pretty soon, so please bear with me! :)**

**Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own the characters in this story.**

**And to the guest who said I rocked... _YOU _rock! seriously, thank you :) and I am glad you are enjoying my writing along with the story :)**

**Reviews would be _greatly _appreciated, they are what make writers want to finish chapters sooner ;)**

**Anyway, here is chapter 3, enjoy!**

Before I knew it, it was Friday and I was in Philadelphia on my way to the hospital. I hadn't been this nervous in a very long time, all of my education and medical school had been leading to this moment and I could definitely feel the pressure.

These were the times when I desperately wish I had my parents here, to comfort me and give me words of encouragement like they used to. No matter how much time passes I don't think I'll ever get used to talking or thinking about my parents in past tense. I try not to dwell on the past too much but it gets hard at times like these; times when any other person would be with their parents right now as they are driving to the hospital in hope of finally getting their dream job, or at least have their parents a phone call away, ready to tell them how it went.

Livvy tries so hard to fill that blank in my life and I am so grateful for her but as awesome as she is, she just isn't my parents and she never will be. Livvy has her own life and I can't always rely on her to be there for me, I want her to be able to make decisions without having to consider me all of the time. A best friend isn't supposed to slow you down, they are meant to be able to support you and help through life but Livvy has always been the one doing all of the supporting.

As I'm driving through the streets of Philadelphia I see a sign for Rosewood. A wave of nerves course through my body as I look at the clock in my car and see that I still have half an hour before I have to be at the hospital, but I don't want to wander and get lost so I round a few more corners and pull into the car park. It's not a large hospital but it still looks busy for such a quiet town. As I looked at the entrance to the hospital I couldn't stop thinking about the fact this is my chance to prove myself to not just Liv, but to myself and my parents. My parents always pushed me, my dad especially, and although it sometimes put a strain on our relationship I knew in the long run it would benefit me. I knew they would be proud of me and as this thought entered my mind I opened the car door and headed to the doors of the hospital, I had to distract myself before I started tearing up.

_You can do this Paige._

* * *

I had barely stepped out of the hospital when my phone started ringing.

"Hey Liv."

"How did it go!?"

"It went well, really well, actually. I got the job Liv" I couldn't stop smiling as I opened my car door and sat in the driver's seat.

"That's really great Paige, congratulations! Not that I ever doubted you of course."

"Thanks Liv. They told me they don't usually tell people so soon but they wanted me to start as soon as possible so I can get the required training done and get started."

"I'm so proud of you Paige, and happy, I'm so happy for you. I know you have been through so much, more than anyone deserves, but this is the start for you. A new job, a new state, a new home, a new chance for you to start again and although we won't be physically close to each other, we both know that no distance will ever effect our friendship, it's too strong for that." Hearing those words left Paige with a tear to wipe off her cheek before she gathered herself and replied.

"How do you manage to say the perfect thing every time!? Thank you so much Livvy, for everything. I know I say this too much but I seriously have no idea what I would do without you. You are definitely the sister I never had."

"I love the amount of compliments I get off you, but really Paige, I need you just as much as you need me and I am so lucky to have you as my best friend. Now, enough with the sentimental stuff, now it's time for you to get ready for your next interview as such which, by the way, you will also ace." Paige smiled at her friend's confidence booster but couldn't stop the nerves from hitting her as she was reminded of the next meeting for the day.

Just like Livvy had suggested, the two girls write her advertisement as such for the newspaper together and within three days, she received a phone call from a women living in Rosewood with a spare room. Paige had been worrying that no one would respond to the piece in the newspaper so when she got a call so soon she was beyond grateful and just to add to it, the woman on the other line sounded nice enough. The house already had four occupants which was a little worrying to Paige but she described each girl and how great they all got along and it didn't take long for Paige to warm up to the idea.

Paige explained her situation to the woman and they agreed for Paige to visit the apartment on the day of her interview while she was in Philadelphia. It was risky setting up the meeting on the day of the interview because if it went horribly wrong, there was really no point to her going there.

* * *

I was sure that going to the bar and having a few drinks probably wasn't the best idea but I needed to try and calm myself down. Being new to the town I tried to convince myself that this was a good idea – a great way to meet some of the locals. It was 2pm on a Saturday and the place was practically empty. I ordered a beer and sat on one of the bar stools to watch the hockey game that was playing on the small TV, I wasn't really interested in the game but found it a nice distraction, that was until I found an even better distraction. She was sitting alone on a table on the other side of the bar, near the pool table. The women was stunning; she had long auburn hair that fell into waves, tanned skin and a beautiful face but it was clear that there was something on her mind. I noticed she was drinking a pink looking drink, I assumed it was one of them drinks that had vodka in it but just tasted like soft drink, I decided that since it was looking pretty empty I would take her new one over. There was no way that she was gay but I couldn't not go and talk to the girl and give myself a reason to stare into those deep, brown eyes of hers.

I looked over to the bartender and grabbed his attention, "I'll have one of whatever the lady over there is having." I looked over at the mystery women so the guy behind the bar knew who I was talking about. As I looked back at the man he gave me a quick smirk before making the drink. I quickly paid for the drink and began to make the walk to the lonely women. As I was walking towards her I began to wonder what I was doing, what was I going to say? Why was I so drawn to the women? Before I had time to think about these questions I was standing at the small round table where she was sitting.

"Hey umm, I noticed you was running low on your drink and you look kinda down, so here you go." Yeah, real smooth Paige.

The women was slightly startled when she heard my voice, I could tell by the way her head shot up, she was clearly deep in thought when I interrupted her.

"Oh…thanks but I should probably be heading home…" The girl's smile was forced but she was still beautiful, even close to tears the mystery girl was incredible and I didn't want her to leave just yet.

"Oh ok, well you can't say I didn't offer." I offered her a smile before putting a dollar into the pool table. As I started to set up the balls up I heard her voice and looked up to see her looking at me with a confused look on her face.

"What are you doing?" I laughed at her question, wasn't it obvious?

"Well, since this is a pool table, one would assume that I was playing pool," I gave her a smirk as she let out a small giggle.

"Well…what I meant was, don't you need two people to play pool?"

"Oh yeah, silly me…if only there was someone who would play with me…" I looked up the ceiling and grabbed my chin – as if I was thinking of a solution to my problem.

"Nice try, but I don't play pool." It was her turn to give me a cheeky smirk which, by the way was extremely cute and it was nice to see her smile since it was clear she wasn't having a good day.

"Neither do I. C'mon, it will be fun and the drink that I bought you won't go to waste."

"Fine, you've twisted my arm…" The women looked at me waiting for me to finish the sentence for her.

"Paige" I quickly added.

"Well, Paige, I'm Emily and I'm about to humiliate myself with my poor pool skills but guess what?"

I couldn't help but laugh at her chirpiness, it made me wonder how long she had been here and how many of those drinks she had consumed.

"What?"

"I don't care." There was a small silence until we both let out a laugh.

* * *

I nervously knocked on the door; hoping I was at the right apartment. A tall, slim women answered the door. The women was wearing a big smile and seemed happy which I was glad to see as I needed this 'interview' as such to go well; this next half an hour decided whether I had a place to say and considering I got the job, I needed this.

"Hello, I'm Spencer; I'm the one you spoke to on the phone." She then reached out her hand to me which I gladly took to shake.

"Hey, I'm Paige, as you know."

"Come in." As I stepped into the spacious apartment Spencer continued to speak. "There is supposed to be one more person but she had a last minute emergency." That was a lie. Their fellow house mate, Emily, wasn't having an emergency. This was a significant date for Emily and when Spencer set the date for Paige to come to the apartment, it had totally slipped her mind. She was going to reschedule it but Emily insisted that they go ahead with it, she preferred to be alone on this day anyway.

"Oh, I hope she is ok." I felt like it wasn't my place to ask what was wrong with their friend but I should at least show some concern. As I looked around the apartment my eyes found the kitchen which was kept neat and tidy, except for the open packet of Oreos that sat on the corner of the bench. I then looked over to the open-plan living room where there was two more girls sat on one of the sofas.

"Hey Paige!" The short blonde seemed excited and she too wore a big smile. "I'm Hanna and this is Aria." The blonde women looked to her right at the even shorter brunette who was looking at me with a warm smile.

"Hi Hanna…and Aria, I'm Paige; obviously."

"Nice to meet you Paige." Aria stood up and walked over to give me a handshake. Hanna followed closely behind but as I reached out my hand expecting another handshake I felt her arms wrap around me.

"It's going to be fun having another person around." As she stepped back, Hanna looked me up and down with a big smile on her face.

"Well, hopefully you guys like me enough to let me stay here with you. From what I have seen it's a great apartment."

"We'll show you the rest of the place and then we'll talk about the rent and what not."

"Sounds great." The girls then began to walk through a door which led to the bedrooms and main bathroom.

"So this is the shared bathroom."

"Wow, it's huge!" I looked around at the spacious room which had two sinks with one large mirror spread across both sinks. It also had a full size bath as well as the toilet and shower.

"Yeah, having four girls in one apartment requires a big bathroom, and now that there could be five it will definitely come in handy." Spencer gave me a warm smile before leading me to the next room.

"This is my room" Hanna beamed as she pushed past Spencer to open the door. The room was pretty tidy except for the makeup table that had three of everything sprawled across it and a few pieces of clothing lay on the double bed. As I was looking around I noticed a canvas that was on the back wall above Hanna's bed. The canvas was a blown up photo of four girls.

Hanna noticed that Paige was looking over at the canvas. "Oh yeah, do you like it?" Hanna got all of the girls the same canvas for Christmas and she loved it.

"Yeah, it's really cool. I'm guessing that's the other girl who lives here." Paige couldn't take her eyes off the girl in the photo, her smile was beautiful.

"You guessed right, her name is-"

"Emily." Paige finished the sentence for Hanna.

"Yeah, how did you know? Did Spencer already tell you?"

"No, I was actually talking to her about half an hour ago." Paige looked at the girls who all looked back at her with confused looks on their faces.

"I was in the bar; I was nervous about today so I thought I would have a beer or two to calm down. Anyway, while I was there I saw Emily sitting by herself looking a bit down in the dumps so I decided to get her a drink and then we just played a game or two of pool."

"Why didn't she come back here with you then?"

"Because at the time I didn't know who she was and vice versa."

"Oh jeez, we better get her before she gets like she was last year. That was messy. I thought she would be with her parents this time."

"Wait, we haven't finished with Paige, we can't just leave her here and abandon the interview or whatever you want to call this." Spencer looked at Paige and then back at Hanna with a concerned look.

"Spence, look at her; she seems like the perfect person to rent out the room." Paige felt a little awkward being in the room and being referred to as her as if she wasn't there.

"It's fine, you guys go and help your friend, by the way you reacted it seems like it is pretty important and I wouldn't want to be the person that stopped you from helping her." Paige looked at the three girls with a weak smile on her face, she really needed them to make a decision today but she didn't want to be an inconvenience to them.

"Is it ok if we just have a minute alone Paige?" Aria looked at Hanna and Spencer and then to Paige with a reassuring smile.

"Of course." Paige smiled as she turned to walk to the lounge area.

"I think Hanna is right Spence, she seems nice, I think we should tell her she can stay here." Both girls looked to Spencer.

"So are we just going to make the decision without consulting Em?"

"Well considering less than hour a go they were playing pool together I think Emily will be fine with Paige living here." Aria had a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she spoke.

"Wait. You don't think Paige was making a move on Em do you? I mean, you don't just walk up to a hot girl in a bar in hopes of a friendly chat." Hanna couldn't help but laugh at what she had just said, the thought hadn't actually crossed her mind until she was saying it.

"What? No, I think she is straight…like she said, Em looked unhappy and she was trying to cheer her up. I guess it shows that she is a nice person and besides, it's midday Hanna, that stuff usually goes on at night." Spencer wasn't really sure who she was trying to convince.

"Yeah _cheer her up_." Hanna smirked.

"Ok, be quiet now Han, we have to decide what to do about Em." Spencer's tone was stern and Hanna knew she had to just shut up for Spencer's sake.

"Well, I say we tell Paige that she can live here and then go to Em." Aria looked to Spencer to gauge her reaction.

"And do we just leave Paige here? Should we trust her just yet?"

"Maybe we should bring her with us. We can't just kick her out, she is new to town so that wouldn't be fair."

"We could just leave her in the car while we get Emily. We'll go and tell her our plan and see what she thinks about it." Spencer then turned to walk to where Paige was sat staring at the TV where an episode of Judge Judy was playing.

"Paige" Paige quickly turned her body to face the girls, acting uninterested on the television. "We have decided that we would like to offer you the room, as well as the rest of the house of course." Spencer was beginning to ramble – she knew Emily wasn't in danger but she just didn't want to see her friend the same way she saw her this time last year.

"Oh great. Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me." Paige had a big smile on her face as she looked at the three girls.

"You're welcome, but right now we have to go and get Emily. I'm guessing by the fact that she was playing pool with you she wasn't drunk?" Spencer inquired, trying to get a bit of a picture of what Emily was like just half an hour ago.

"No she wasn't. She was definitely tipsy though. She only had one drink with me but I don't know how much she had already had and I obviously don't know what she has had since. I'm sorry, if I knew that drinking was an issue for her I never would have offered her any." Paige suddenly felt guilty for even approaching the woman.

"No, it's not normally an issue for Em. It's just…a tough day today; an anniversary." Aria and the two other girls looked down as they were obviously thinking about the 'anniversary'.

"Ok well, I better leave you to it." Paige gave them a smile before turning to leave.

"You can come with us if you like? We know you are new to town so you probably don't really know your way around yet." Spencer looked back up to catch Paige's eyes.

"Oh, that's ok. I'm guessing Emily won't want me there when you guys get her; it's clearly an emotional day for her. Besides, I have to drive back to New Jersey tonight to get my things. I didn't want to pack everything up and then completely flunk my interview or this meeting."

"Okay, well we have to leave now then but I guess we will see you tomorrow. Then we will finally go through the rent and everything else." The girls gave Paige one last smile before all four of them headed out of the apartment.

"OK, see you guys tomorrow, and thank you again."

I headed to my car as the three other girls rushed to an expensive looking car and drove off. I had to sit in my car for a few minutes as I processed what had just happened. The girls seemed really nice and I could see this going really well but then on the other hand, I was going to be living with Emily; the beautiful girl that gave me butterflies whenever she so much as spoke. _Crap._

**A/N I have a question that I would love an answer to :) would you rather know about Paige's parents _before_ Emily does, or would you rather find out about Paige's past _as_ Emily does? Please let me know so I can write what you want to read :) **


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